How a small north Slovakia town breaks barriers when it comes to para athletes
Barrier-free town is the goal.
The town of Dolný Kubín has been nominated for the FéliX Business Award in the category of Self-Administration for Future Generations.
The northern Slovakia town of Dolný Kubín has the potential to become the country's centre for disabled athletes.
FéliX Business Award
A business award given out by Index magazine and Slovenská Sporiteľňa bank in cooperation with partners. It is awarded to inspiring and socially responsible companies and municipalities for activities that contribute to the prosperity and modernity of Slovakia.
"It all began when Miroslav Dráb, a native of Dolný Kubín, started training Slovak para ice-hockey players. He asked the town for support in rebuilding the local ice-hockey arena to suit the needs of his players," recalls Mayor Ján Prílepok.
That was 13 years ago. Since then, the arena has become the cradle of para ice-hockey in Slovakia. In addition to barrier-free entrances, changing rooms and social facilities, there are the transparent boards in front of the players' and penalty benches.
"A hockey player in a wheelchair cannot see the ice from the bench. It was a practical thing an able-bodied person wouldn't think of," explains Prílepok.
A barrier-free town
The arena's reconstruction was partly paid for by the Dolný Kubín Town Hall from its own budget. It also received funding from the Slovak Ice-Hockey Association, the Slovak Paralympic Committee and the Sports Support Fund. The mayor says that European funds can be used for several projects.
In addition to para ice-hockey players, floorball players with muscular dystrophy also found support and a place to train in Dolný Kubín. "For them, the sport means not only a form of relaxation, but also the meaning of life," says Prílepok.
A non-profit organization dedicated to making the town barrier-free and more accessible to the disabled operates here. Its members actively look for places with barriers. One such place was, for example, a police station.
"I walk with my two sons in a stroller by myself and find out how many barriers still exist around town," adds the mayor.
Since para-athletes from all over Slovakia train in Dolný Kubín, the Town Hall is appealing to hotel and restaurant owners to accommodate them by building barrier-free entrances or elevators.
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